A26924:1139
The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated…
The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated and argued by Richard Baxter ; who earnestly beseecheth rulers and clergy not to divide and destroy the land and cast their own souls on the dreadful guilt and punishment of national perjury ...
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1689
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
GOD IS LOVE, AND HE THAT DWELLETH IN LOVE DWELLETH IN GOD, AND GOD IN HIM, John 4. 16. The most fundamental and comprehensive Article of Natural and Evangelical Religion.
GOD IS LOVE, AND HE THAT DWELLETH IN LOVE DWELLETH IN GOD, AND GOD IN HIM, Iohn 4. 16. The most fundamental and comprehensive Article of Natural and Evangelical Religion.
How Angels fell from Love and became Devils, malignant Spirits, is not revealed fully to us; but that such there are, both Scripture and too great Experience certify us. But how Man fell, is told us in the Scripture. It pleased God to make a rank of intellectual Animals left to their understanding, self-determining free-will, between the Brutes which are determined to things Sensible, and the confirmed. Angels who are determined to things Spiritual. It pleased him to oblige and allure Man by his Blessings, to live still in the love of God; but withal to permit the malignant Tempter, to try whether by his allurement and deceit, he could win him from this Holy Love: As if a man should leave his Daughter to be his Wife, who could win her own consent. The malignant Spirit prevailed and turned man from the Reigning Love of God, to the Love of SELF, Self-pleasing, Self-ruling, and Self-trusting; and having won man's Will, he is by just permission become his Prince, as long as he can keep the Will which he hath won. But Infinite LOVE, first promised, and then gave his SON to be the PRINCE OF LOVE, and so the Captain of our Salvation; His Incarnation, Doctrine, Life, and Suffering; his Resurrection, Ascension, Intercession and Government, are but the works of LOVE for Man's Salvation, which is, to recover ⟨p. 286⟩the Will of Man to the Reigning Love of God, from the Carnal Sensual self-love. A war is thus commenced between Christ and Satan; Christ's warfare is to Conquer malignant Enmity, and set up a Kingdom of Love. The Devils work is to assimilate man to himself, and to make him a Liar, Malicious, and a Destroyer. Thus two Kingdoms are set up in this World, which are in continual war against each other. The Subjects of each are discernible by their works: TRUTH, LOVE, and DOING GOOD are the works and marks of the one; and LYING, HATRED and HURTFULNESS, are the works and marks of the other; and HOLINESS and DEVILISM constitute this world. Cain and Abel were the leading instances: